The Confusing Dream Conundrum
by poisongirll
Summary: It all started when Sheldon had a confusing dream about Penny...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note**: A little fic I wrote awhile ago and only just got around to posting. There will be more to come so stay tuned!

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><p>Sheldon Cooper awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright in his bed<br>with his mind racing. He had been dreaming, and now interrupted from  
>his slumber he struggled to grasp the remnants of the dream before<br>they would disappear and become lost to him forever. He felt  
>uncomfortable, almost afraid, yet had a vague sensation that the dream<br>wasn't entirely unpleasant. He hadn't been alone, in the dream. No,  
>someone had been there...someone he knew well. Penny, he recalled. But<br>what had been happening? She had been in his room, which was cause  
>enough for alarm in his opinion, but what else? His beautiful mind<br>struggled to remember, and suddenly the knowledge came crashing down  
>upon him with the force of a ton of bricks. It had been a sexual<br>dream. Involving Penny. He felt a mild panic creep up upon him as he  
>struggled to comprehend how, and more importantly why, his subconscious<br>had forced this upon him. He glanced at his clock and sighed, knowing  
>that sleep would evade him tonight.<p>

He entered his office the next morning feeling distinctly less  
>refreshed than he would have liked, a fact that did not go unnoticed<br>by Raj, who paused mid 'good morning' to look closely at his colleague  
>and note the uncharacteristic dark eyes and slightly dishevelled hair.<p>

"Dude what's wrong? You look like you haven't slept in weeks"

"If you must know, yes, I was unable to gain a sufficient amount of  
>REM sleep last night"<p>

"Why?" Raj persisted.

Sheldon sighed. It was these kinds of pointless conversations that  
>stopped he and Raj from having a major breakthrough in his work.<p>

"Because I had a bad dream" he replied huffily.

"About what?" Raj questioned again.

"I suppose it wasn't really a _bad_ dream per say" Sheldon replied  
>quietly.<p>

In truth, he had stayed up all night thinking about the dream and why  
>his subconscious would create such a thing. When he finally gave up on<br>the idea of sleep in the early hours of the morning, he had turned to  
>his whiteboard and spent hours pondering and scrawling various ideas<br>but to no avail. He was the first to admit that this kind of thing was  
>far from his area of expertise. Perhaps discussing it with Raj to gain<br>some perspective wasn't the worst idea in the world, and he was  
>probably the one out of his three friends and one close acquaintance<br>who would torture him the least. He almost shuddered at the thought of  
>Leonard, or even worse Penny, learning of his secret. He looked at<br>Raj's questioning glance for a moment then at his feet.

"Penny was in it" he admitted awkwardly.

Raj shrugged.

"So? It's pretty normal to have dreams about the people in your life"  
>he replied, then pondered for a moment before cheerfully adding "I<br>have dreams about Howard all the time"

Sheldon ignored this and shuffled awkwardly, clearing his throat  
>before continuing.<p>

"Yes. Except that she was..." he stopped, for once at a complete loss  
>as to how to explain himself. He tried again.<p>

"We were..." he broke off, his eye twitching furiously.

After a moment of consideration of Sheldon's very obvious discomfort,  
>Raj cottoned on, his eyes growing wide and a huge grin spreading<br>across his face.

"Dude are you telling me that you had a dirty dream about Penny?"  
>he asked loudly and enthusiastically.<p>

Sheldon rushed for the office door, closing it hastily before turning  
>back to Raj, his face growing red.<p>

"I would kindly ask you not to tell anyone about this OR announce it  
>loud enough that the whole university can hear you!" he hissed,<br>regaining some of his usual composure and obnoxious mannerisms.

Raj at least had the decency to look guilty.

"Sorry. It's just a bit of a shock you know. I mean, you're _Sheldon_"  
>he stated, putting emphasis on his name, figuring it to be enough of<br>an explanation.

"I'm perfectly aware of who I am, Raj" he snapped impatiently. "My  
>question is: what does it mean?"<p>

Again Raj shrugged.

"Well the most obvious answer is that you have a crush on Penny" he  
>answered simply, trying hard to keep a straight face.<p>

Sheldon huffed, straightening to his full height in his indignation.

"I am a physicist with a masters degree and two PhDs who is far too busy  
>for something so trivial. I do not get 'crushes'" he explained tersely, making air quotes<br>with his long fingers on the word 'crushes'.

"Okay then answer me this" Raj replied, "did you enjoy it?"

Again Sheldon scoffed, turning away from Raj as though he found the  
>conversation too ridiculous to even continue. But Raj pressed him.<p>

"In the dream...did you enjoy it?"

Sheldon just stared at his whiteboard, his mind racing, and focused on  
>the series of symbols and equations upon its surface that were so<br>comforting to him because they made sense.

Without turning away he quietly replied "it wasn't as terrible as I thought it  
>would be...in the dream that is" he quickly added.<p>

Raj just smiled. Maybe Sheldon  
>wasn't such a crazy wack-a-doodle after all.<p>

Sheldon paced the hallway nervously. His conversation with Raj earlier  
>that day had only served to confuse him further. Raj had advised that<br>maybe spending more time around Penny would help him to clarify what  
>the dream meant and what he might be able to do about it. It seemed<br>like a valid hypothesis so here he was, asking Penny over for halo  
>night. It was a perfectly legitimate request given that Howard was<br>unwell and home in bed and that therefore they were short one player.  
>It was also true that Penny was surprisingly adept when it came to the<br>art of halo. So there was no reason for Sheldon to feel uncomfortable.  
>Except that he hadn't seen Penny since the dream had taken place and<br>now felt an odd fluttering sensation as he knocked at her door in his  
>usual manner.<br>_Knock knock knock_  
>"Penny"<br>_Knock knock knock_  
>"Penny"<br>_Knock knock knock_  
>"Penny"<br>And she carried out her usual routine of arriving at the door on his  
>second set of knocks, but allowing him to complete his ritual anyway<br>before opening the door.

"Sheldon" she greeted him with a smile, leaning against the door frame.

Sheldon couldn't help but notice that Penny looked very pretty today.  
>Her golden hair fell over her shoulders in gentle waves, the way it<br>sat naturally when she didn't torture it with straightening irons or  
>curling wands or hair spray. She wore a plain green top that was<br>coincidentally the same colour as the green lantern shirt that Sheldon  
>was wearing, and it brought out the colour of her eyes quite<br>effectively. It was a flattering cut that complemented her in all the  
>right places. Sheldon was momentarily lost for words, his mind having<br>flashes of the dream of the night before. Forcing them away, Sheldon  
>cleared his throat and licked his lips nervously.<p>

"Penny. As you know, Wednesday is halo night and although I know that  
>your mathematical skills are very limited, you would also know that we<br>require an even number of players in order for each player to  
>adequately participate in the game play"<p>

Penny stood with one hand on her hip, impatiently waiting for him to  
>finish his speech. But in truth, hanging out with the guys was just<br>what she needed right now, so she was secretly pleased that her  
>neighbour had come to call.<p>

Plus there was always free dinner in it for her, something that Sheldon did  
>not overlook, finishing his persuasive speech with, "oh and, as per my usual Wednesday night<br>schedule, there will of course be pizza"

Penny smiled.

"Sounds great. I'll be over in five"

Sheldon nodded curtly and retreated to the apartment, wondering why he  
>still felt so off. Penny had lived opposite them for years. And yes,<br>he had to admit that she was very aesthetically pleasing, but there  
>were far more less attractive qualities about her that drove him mad.<br>She was messy, she had no discernable schedule or routine, she had  
>dated Leonard of all people...and she stood up to him, Sheldon. Though<br>admittedly, he wasn't entirely sure that the last point was a bad  
>thing- she was never mean about it like Leslie Winkle or Will Wheaton,<br>and he found their little battles oddly entertaining. Logically he  
>knew that there were many reasons why he should not be having dreams<br>of that nature about his friend and neighbour. But she did take care  
>of him when he was sick. And sing soft kitty to him. And protect him<br>in their halo and paintball endeavours, as well against 'real life'  
>enemies. And make him real I-talian spaghetti with cut up sausages.<br>And partake in his Saturday laundry night ritual. And bring him his  
>bacon cheeseburger just the way he liked it every Tuesday. And explain<br>to people why his spot on the couch was his was his spot on the couch.  
>And, if he had to be perfectly honest with himself, he rather enjoyed<br>the time he spent with her. He sat at his computer desk, staring at nothing in particular,  
>cursing himself for wasting time pondering the inner workings of his dreams rather than<br>something that would win him a Nobel prize.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note**: This story is set sometime in 2010, as there will be inconsistencies if not. Leonard is not yet with Priya at this point. I hope you all enjoy this, reviews are love!

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><p>It was Thursday morning and Sheldon had finally had a night of wonderful, uninterrupted REM sleep. Halo night had been relatively uneventful— he and Penny making an unstoppable team as they always did when they played together. He had been so caught up in the game, and in his admiration of Penny's fine halo skills, that he had almost forgotten to feel uncomfortable around her. In addition, the lack of a similar dream about her last night had left him feeling hopeful that perhaps the dream had been a on off, never to be repeated occurrence. So why was he now standing in his office, mind and body adequately refreshed from a good nights sleep, thinking about her instead of the equation he had scrawled onto his whiteboard? Instead of pondering the various possibilities and their implications to his equation, his mind was filled with flashbacks from the dream, which he was now remembering more and more clearly...<p>

He had been lying in his bed, about to go to sleep when there had been a soft knock on his door. Sheldon mentally 'tsk tsked'- it was late, past his usual bedtime, and everyone knew that he wasn't to be interrupted unless it was an absolute emergency.

"It's Penny" a voice said quietly from the other side of the closed door.

Of course, his mind said, Penny seemed to enjoy her complete disregard for most of his rules. He sighed and got out of his bed, going to the door and opening it impatiently.

"Penny, I don't see what could possibly be so important to disturb me twelve minutes after my scheduled bedti..."

He didn't get to finish his sentence because before he could, Penny's lips were suddenly on his, warm and soft and sweet. He froze, paralysed by the thought of the germs, but couldn't seem to bring himself to push her away. In fact, his traitorous body seemed to have rather the opposite reaction— kissing her in return as she put her arms around his neck, stretched as tall as she could be on her tiptoes. It didn't seem to matter that he had never kissed anyone before— his lips acted as though they knew the dance well, his hands moving to Penny's waist to pull her closer. It was she who broke the kiss first, gently pushing him backwards until he landed softly on his bed, tumbling on top of him in a haze of golden hair and vanilla scented oil. And then she was kissing him with even more passion than before— her lips all over him, teasing him, tasting his mouth, and he no longer had control over his actions...possessed by a fire and a longing that he had never before in his life experienced. He moaned her name into her mouth, wanting more, needing more, and his hands were in her hair and she was telling him how much she wanted him, her tiny kisses on his neck making him shiver, and he was so very...awake.

Snapping out of his flashback, Sheldon all but threw his whiteboard marker to the ground in frustration. This was absurdity! Had the beautiful mind of Sheldon Cooper really been reduced to this? Nothing more than what he had always lamented? He decided that this must come to an end here and now. If seeing Penny last night hadn't worked then maybe he would try the opposite. Satisfied that this may prove an effective solution to his problem, he turned back to his equation and to the only world that still made sense.

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><p>Sheldon was rather pleased with himself. Not only had he managed to go almost a whole week without seeing Penny— due in no small part to his having memorised her work roster so that he wouldn't be in the hallway, the lobby or the stairs at the same time she would be, and having once or twice frantically hidden when his Vulcan hearing had alerted him to her approach— but he had also had no more dreams concerning Penny. His mind was more focused and he was already beginning to feel the sense of panic that had hung over him dissipating with each passing day. Except that now she was outside the door of the apartment that he and Leonard shared, knocking far more loudly than was necessary and insisting to be let in. He froze, not knowing what to do and wishing madly that Leonard had not had to work late so that he would have protection.<p>

"I know you're in there Sheldon" she informed him loudly and impatiently through the door, her voice carrying a hint of a threat.

"I want to know why you're avoiding me. I saw you run away from me in the lobby yesterday"

Drat, Sheldon cursed mentally. He thought he had been so meticulous in his avoidance of her.

"Come on, what have I done this time?" she demanded through the closed door.

Desperate to avoid a confrontation (Penny was scary when she was mad) he retreated to his room, hoping that his problem with simply go away. Which it did...for now.

But by the following evening, Sheldon was feeling well and truly depressed, or as close to it as someone who for all intents and purposes may have well have been a robot could be. It was Anything Can Happen Thursday, and Howard had convinced Leonard and Raj to accompany him on another doomed mission to a variety of seedy bars in the hope that vast amounts of cheap booze would make them at least moderately attractive to the opposite sex. Sheldon's subconscious had subjected him to another of the troublesome Penny dreams again last night, and he had gotten himself into a panic that he would never be able to focus again, that he would never prove string theory, that he would never win the Nobel prize that he desired so much. In truth, only part of his mind's self torment could be blamed on Penny. The other part lay in the fact that he was turning thirty in a little over two weeks. Although rationally he knew that he had a long list of very impressive achievements, he also felt that he hadn't achieved nearly as much as what he wanted to by the time he turned thirty. Even though he loved his work, it was his life after all, he couldn't help becoming frustrated at times and this was certainly one of those times. He put on one of his _Firefly_ discs in the hopes of distracting himself but it only served to bother him further, as his mind just wasn't interested. He stood up, abruptly deciding that he needed to take action to get himself out of this gradually darkening abyss. He needed to see Penny.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note**: Thanks so much for the lovely reviews, I'm glad you are enjoying the story :) The following was initially going to be one chapter, but it got too long so I have split it into two slightly shorter ones. Chapter 4 is pretty much finished though so it won't be far away.

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><p><em>Knock knock knock<em>

"Penny"

_Knock knock knock_

"Penny"

_Knock knock knock_

"Penny"

It was with some urgency that Sheldon knocked on his neighbour's door, his voice sounding far from its usual sharp and slightly patronising tone. Within the apartment, Penny sighed heavily. She had been angry with Sheldon the day before due to his avoiding her, seemingly without any reason whatsoever. However, tonight she just felt depressed. She had come home from a particularly brutal shift at The Cheesecake Factory— feet aching and the unappealing stench of some unspeakably old cheesecake she had discovered whilst cleaning out the fridge still clinging to her— to find a message from one of her exes that seemed suspiciously like a booty call. She was considering calling him back when she stopped herself. Why did she allow herself to be treated this way?

Instead, she was part of the way through a bottle of moderately priced white wine, with several cheaper alternatives waiting in the fridge for when the taste no longer mattered. Even though she knew that drinking would not solve her problems, that in fact it would probably only make them worse, she felt that her life was such a mess that it didn't matter anymore. Her failure as an actress was something that played on her mind constantly, but every now and then her situation got the better of her and she had mad desires to run home and hide in the familiarity of Nebraska and stop trying. The fact that Sheldon had now apparently grown tired of their friendship was just another kick when she was down. Nonetheless, she decided to answer the door and see what he had to say.

"What do you want Sheldon?" she asked impatiently, as she pulled the door open. She knew she probably looked a mess— her eyes red from the little cry she had earlier, her hair dishevelled and her clothes shabby. What surprised her though was the way _he _looked. His face held an expression that she had never seen before…it was something like confusion, but more panicked, more…desperate?

"Penny, I've attempted interacting with you and I've attempted not interacting with you and it's all been to no avail because you still won't get out of my head!"

He half yelled the last five words as though they were a command, and Penny wasn't sure whether to be surprised or confused.

"What the hell are you talking about Sheldon?" she replied with a blank expression, clearly at a loss with how to deal with this new side of him.

"I don't…." Sheldon began, but cut himself off, finally noticing her appearance and her obvious low demeanour.

"Penny, you're upset" he said, much of his frustration quickly dissipating. It wasn't a question; it seemed he was finally getting better at reading emotions.

"Let me make you some tea" he continued, passing her to enter the apartment.

Penny threw her hands up in exasperation, following him back into the apartment and shutting the door with more force than was strictly necessary. She didn't understand what he was on about, or why he had decided to no longer avoiding her, but she was too tired and down in the dumps to really care, plus just having him talk to her again made her feel ever so slightly better.

"I don't want tea" Penny replied moodily, sinking back onto the couch, as Sheldon busied himself in the kitchen.

"I want more wine" she continued, reaching for the half empty bottle and pouring herself a large glass.

Sheldon stopped and looked up, a strange expression on his face, but he said nothing, instead walking over to join her on the couch. She moved without saying anything so that he could sit in 'his spot'. He watched Penny take a gulp from her glass and considered how melancholy she appeared to be. He couldn't help but think that maybe they had more in common than he had initially thought. Clearly neither of them dealt with negative feelings very well— her collapsing into a fit of something approaching alcoholism and him normally feeling completely unlike himself until he was able to effectively push the feelings down, having never properly dealt with them in the first place. Maybe he would try it her way, he thought.

"I'll join you" he said quietly.

This time surprise won, the shock apparent on Penny's face.

"Really?"

Sheldon just nodded, getting up and retrieving a second glass from the kitchen, knowing immediately where they were as he was the one who had some time ago rearranged her appallingly disorganised kitchen. Penny half filled the glass wordlessly, emptying the bottle, thinking based on past experience that he would really have no more than a sip and struggle with even that. But, to her disbelief, he raised the glass and drained it like a pro. She just stared at him, asking herself not for the first time that evening what the hell had gotten into him. Noticing her startled expression, Sheldon shrugged.

"I may as well descend into alcoholism" he muttered melodramatically, staring into the now empty depths of his glass.

"I'm never going to achieve all I wanted to. So much wasted potential" Penny's utter confusion changed to sympathy because for once this was something she could relate to.

"Sweetie, you've achieved so much already" she told him earnestly.

He scoffed at her, but she could see that his heart just wasn't in being truly condescending and somehow that made her sympathy even deeper.

"Penny, I turn thirty in precisely thirteen days and I haven't achieved even half of what I set out to do. I haven't proven string theory, I haven't won a Nobel Prize…and I still can't operate a motor vehicle"

She almost laughed at this last part, but quickly decided against it.

"Aw honey, I can help you with the last thing if you like" she told him, gently patting his arm.

"And as for the rest of it…you'll get there. If anyone can do it you can, Sheldon"

Sheldon just shrugged, still not looking at her, and Penny's worry for him increased, despite her previous anger with him and her own problems.

"Why are you upset, Penny?" he asked her, changing the subject but sounding genuinely concerned.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Failed actress, waitress at a place that makes cheesecakes. All that" she replied, getting to her feet and retrieving the next nicest bottle of wine from the fridge.

She opened it as she sat back down, refilling both their glasses. They sat in silence for a moment, each sipping at their drink, before Sheldon said "Perhaps you should then consider pursuing alternate career paths, given that you are unhappy with your current one".

Penny looked at him and sighed. Whilst his suggestion was logical, as most of his suggestions ultimately were, it seemed to her that it wasn't that simple.

"I can't. Because then I would be admitting that my real dream is never going to happen" she replied slowly, sadly.

Again Sheldon just nodded, seeming to understand. And Penny found herself wondering, since when did Sheldon understand anything about feelings?


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note**: Thanks again for the reviews and story alerts/story faves- keep 'em coming, they are my motivation! The next chapter may take me a little longer to post as I have about a million hours of uni work coming up this week, but hopefully it won't be too long.

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><p>An hour and a half later, Penny was mostly finished another glass of wine, with Sheldon not too far behind. Whilst Penny was impressed that he had managed to consume more than one glass without either throwing up or removing his pants, she certainly noticed a distinct change in the uptight physicist's usual behaviour. For one thing, he was giggling. In fact, they were both a lot more cheerful then they had been just an hour prior. Penny couldn't remember who had suggested the Star Wars drinking game (though she had her suspicions that Sheldon had suggested the Star Wars part and she had suggested the drinking part) but suddenly they were watching and having shots (or sips, in Sheldon's case) of peach schnapps every time someone mentioned 'the force' or a lightsaber was turned on or off, and so on. Before long they were both in hysterics, sitting much closer together on the small couch then they normally would have.<p>

"Penny" Sheldon began, placing a hand on her arm to get her attention. "I must say that, whilst I've partaken in and enjoyed many memorable viewings of 'The Empire Strikes Back', I don't think I've ever enjoyed it quite this much".

Penny laughed, reaching out to stroke Sheldon's arm, only a tiny, sober part of her mind wondering what she was doing...was she really _flirting_ with _Sheldon_? At this point in time though he didn't seem to mind whatsoever, laughing along with her at nothing in particular. Then Penny looked him in the eye, noticing just how pretty their shade of blue was now that they weren't laced with their normal arrogance and high strung energy.

"Sheldon, honey, let's play another game" she exclaimed enthusiastically when the movie had finished, tapping on his arm and downing the remainder of her wine.

"Well you do know my fondness for games, Penny" he replied, nodding his agreement.

"Truth or dare?" she asked him with a wicked smile, reaching for a refill of her glass.

He considered the question carefully for a moment then, deciding he really wasn't up to actually standing and doing anything, chose 'truth'. Penny scrutinised him, lips pouting in concentration.

"Okay...have you ever kissed anyone?" she finally put forth, sipping from her glass happily.

"No" Sheldon replied after a moments consideration. "Unless you count Dr. Beverley Hofstadter"  
>Penny laughed at the memory of Leonard's mom drunkenly kissing Sheldon then deciding that she would "prefer the bus boy".<p>

"You've never tried kissing Amy?"

Sheldon looked at her with exasperation, his sense of impatience not lost through the drunken haze.

"Penny, I've told you many times that although Amy Farrah Fowler is a girl and is my friend, she is _not _my 'girlfriend'" he explained, only slurring his words slightly, and making air quotes on the word 'girlfriend'.

"Yeah yeah yeah" Penny said, waving her hand dismissively.

"But aren't you just a little curious?"

Sheldon seemed to consider this for a moment, which somewhat surprised Penny as she had thought he would dismiss the premise outright.

"Supposing that I were even interested in partaking in such an activity as kissing, I feel that whilst Amy Farrah Fowler and I are similar and compatible in many ways, the basic neurochemical reactions between us are not sufficient to make any such activity pleasurable or even practical".

Penny paused a moment, her brain trying to translate his explanation into human terms.

"Are you trying to say that you're not attracted to Amy?" Penny asked, having had consumed far too much wine and schnapps to make any more sense of Sheldon's science talk.

"I suppose if you want to put it in such simplistic terms then yes" he replied, draining the last of his glass.

"So you're saying that you could be attracted to someone else?" Penny pressed.

"Well, for example, the thought of kissing you doesn't seem so bad" he blurted out.

It was a simple statement that he never would have uttered had his inhibitions not been significantly lowered by the alcohol, and one that he immediately regretted vocalising, but Sheldon couldn't help but notice that no part of him argued with it, as much as he tried to make himself.

Penny should have been shocked, but somehow she was just flattered, which in itself should have been surprising. She wasn't interested in Sheldon...was she? She'd always found him cute but had long since found that the annoying habits that drove her mad seemed to outweigh any attraction that might have had for him initially. But she had to admit that a big part of her not allowing herself to even think that way about him was because she thought he would never, ever think that way about her. They were complete opposites. He would drive her mad with his rules and strikes and long winded explanations and she with her clutter and chaos and impulsiveness. And yet, they had become such good friends. They enjoyed each other's company despite all of that. They made a great team whenever they worked together. They taught and learnt from each other constantly. They were there for one another when it really mattered, like when one of them was sick or upset. Suddenly the idea didn't seem so crazy to Penny, and although she wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or something else within her talking she suspected that it may have been a combination of both.

"Well, uh, we could try it" Penny said, endeavouring to keep her voice casual and light but her heart beating a mile a minute inside her chest.

Somehow Sheldon found himself agreeing, admitting that it would be an interesting experiment. Was this really happening? Or was it another one of his bizarre dreams? Was he really going to kiss someone, and of all people, Penny? His heart was racing and his palms had become clammy— something he suspected had nothing to do with the alcohol and everything to do with attraction and anticipation.

"Close your eyes sweetie" she commanded him gently.

He did so without argument and felt the warmth of her body inch ever closer to his, her hands softly gripping his forearms. Then her lips were on his— soft and tender and vaguely peach flavoured. She kissed him slowly, not wanting to overwhelm him with too much all at once, and he gradually started to respond, copying her movements and moving his hands to rest on her shoulders. Hesitantly, she licked his full lower lip and almost couldn't hide her surprise when he tentatively did the same, allowing their tongues to meet in a sensual dance. She could tell that he wasn't sure what to do, but apparently being a remarkably fast learner also applied to kissing. Enjoying the sensation, Penny deepened the kiss, drawing ever closer to him, and Sheldon moaned softly and moved his hands to her neck, tangling them loosely in her hair. He couldn't even bring himself to care about the germs anymore, or to convince his body that he wasn't also enjoying this.

And that was when he freaked out. He pulled away, looking at Penny and breathing heavily not just from the kiss but also from the sudden sense of panic that threatened to overwhelm him. And Penny could see it in his confused expression— so torn between exploring this unexpectantly pleasant new experience and running screaming from it and all of its unfamiliarity. He chose the latter option, though at least minus the screaming, retreating hastily to apartment 4A. Penny heard the door close heavily but remained on the couch and, through the haze of alcohol and arousal, tried to process what had just happened.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note**: So I've given Leonard a vague love interest to suit my purposes here...just go with it :P Hope you enjoy!

Sheldon was confused and very aware that this seemed to be a common state of existence for him lately. It seemed that Penny was now the one avoiding him, though he couldn't quite work out why with his limited understanding of social interactions. Yes, there had been an interesting anomaly in their relationship with the…'incident' of Friday night, as he had come to refer to it internally. But should he not be the one avoiding her? After all, he was the one that had run away. At first he had been grateful for her absence, assuming that she was giving him much needed space after the bizarre encounter, but later that day whilst nursing a horrible hangover for only the second time in his life, he found himself almost wishing that Penny was there to provide him with tea and sing 'soft kitty' to him.

It wasn't until a couple of days afterwards that he realised she was actively avoiding seeing him— not only had she been absent from laundry night on Saturday, but he hadn't seen her in the building's hallways, the foyer, or outside their apartments, and he was sure that this was not a coincidence (he didn't believe in such things anyway). On Tuesday night when he, Leonard, Raj and Howard went to the Cheesecake Factory as per their usual weekly routine Penny wasn't there, presumably having changed her shift. It wasn't until then that Sheldon realised that her absence really bothered him. Although he was terribly uncomfortable with the sudden disruption to his Tuesday night schedule, he was also alarmed to find that his disappointment over Penny not being there almost outweighed this.

He still didn't know how to feel about 'the incident'. Though the alcohol marred his recollection of it slightly, his eidetic memory ensured that he could still remember it quite accurately. He remembered confessing to her that the thought of kissing her wasn't so bad and knowing that the words were true as they left his mouth. He remembered her suggesting that they try kissing and him not putting up much protest to this idea. And then…'the incident' itself. He remembered thinking that this wasn't as bad as he had always thought it would be…that it was almost…pleasant? But that had been the alcohol talking…right?

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><p>Penny was also confused, but quite used to this when it came to matters of the heart. She had enjoyed the kiss with Sheldon, almost too much. Though she had consumed a lot of alcohol that night, the fact that she was a seasoned drinker meant that she could recall it quite clearly. She remembered first her worry at Sheldon's behaviour, in his desire to drink with her, then her complete surprise at the turn of events that followed. Him confessing that he wouldn't mind kissing her? Her suggesting that they try it? It was a world gone mad like in one of Sheldon's science fiction movies. But the biggest surprise for her lay in the fact that not only had Sheldon been a very decent kisser but also in how much it had affected her.<p>

The day following the strange night, through the annoyance of a mild hangover, she caught herself daydreaming about a repeat of the kiss, and eventually had to admit to herself that she felt something for Sheldon that wasn't strictly within the realm of friendship. But he had run away from her, clearly overwhelmed by the experience, and she knew that his inability to deal with his feelings and anything outside of his scheduled routine probably meant that he didn't want to spend time with her anymore. Perhaps he blamed her for what had occurred, blamed her for giving him the alcohol…but then, he had asked for it hadn't he? And he was the one who had brought up the idea of them kissing. But the fact that Sheldon hadn't approached her after the event only served to further cement in her mind that he wanted no more to do with her after their confusing crossing of boundaries. She wasn't going to chase him; there would be no point with Sheldon. But that didn't mean she wasn't miserable about it.

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><p>Leonard had noticed that there was something strange about Sheldon over the last few days…as in, stranger than usual. Leonard had been staying at his girlfriend's house last Friday night and had come home on Saturday morning to find Sheldon lounging on the couch looking dreadful and claiming to be sick. Leonard had prepared to bail as quickly as possible but on closer observation it didn't seem to be a 'code milky green'…so what was it? He could have sworn he'd heard Sheldon mutter a curse about 'the demon liquor' under his breath, too. Was Sheldon <em>hungover<em>? And if so, why had he been drinking? And where had he been?

He couldn't help but notice that Sheldon and Penny had been spending more time together lately than normal and wondered if she had finally convinced him to join the dark side and drink with her. The thought bothered him but he tried to brush off any paranoia by reminding himself that this was _Sheldon_. Nothing was ever going to happen in that way, so it was silly to even think about it. And besides, he thought, it was nice that the two of them had developed a close friendship. Sheldon needed someone like Penny in his life to balance out his…uniqueness.

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><p>It wasn't until five days after the kiss that Penny and Sheldon were forced to resolve their situation. Sheldon and the others were returning from their Wednesday evening trip to the comic book store and Sheldon had had to go back down to Leonard's car as he had mistakenly left one of his purchases there (a true testament to how unfocused his mind had been this week). He walked back up the stairs and was just approaching the landing that 4A and 4B shared when Penny exited her apartment, dressed in her Cheesecake Factory uniform. The pair exchanged a strange look that was filled with all the tension and feelings of the last few days. Penny couldn't help but notice that Sheldon's face held a fleeting look of being happy to see her, but it was masked very quickly and carefully by a blank expression that was only spoilt by the slight blush of his cheeks. He met her eyes with a curious expression, as if trying to read her thoughts, clearly at a complete loss as to how to deal with the situation. Penny felt her own face becoming flushed and her green eyes met his blue ones only momentarily before she looked away, making a fuss of putting her keys away in the correct section of her shoulder bag. She had intended on simply avoiding the situation again and making her escape when Sheldon did something that she'd never thought he would do. He made the first move.<p>

"Penny? May I speak with you for a moment?"

He put his request forth quietly, shyly, but Penny was just shocked that he was speaking to her at all after what had happened. She was already running late for her shift but there was no way she was going to deny him this. It occurred to her briefly that maybe he was going to ask her to continue to stay away from him, and her chest tightened painfully at the thought.

"Sure" she replied softly, forcing a small smile.

He took a couple of awkward steps towards her, evidentially not wanting to be overheard by the guys in his apartment, and clutched his comic books to his chest as though his life depended on it.

"Penny. It's come to my attention that you've been intentionally avoiding the two of us having any interaction since the…" his cheeks turned an even deeper shade of crimson "… occurrences of Friday evening, and I wanted to determine if there was a reasonable explanation for this, because, as you are aware, I am unfamiliar with this aspect of social interaction and would like to know how I am hypothetically expected to proceed".

Penny paused for a moment, taken aback by his words. It sounded like he didn't want her to avoid him…that it actually bothered him?

"I thought that's what you wanted. After you ran away and all"

He shook his head without really meaning to.

"What do you want then, Sheldon?"

Her words weren't demanding, just genuine and curious.

It took him a moment to answer and Penny could see the gears in his brain working furiously. His eye twitched slightly.

"Would it be appropriate for me to request that our relationship return to its original friendship paradigm?"

Penny smiled, deciphering his words into the question: can we still be friends?

"Sure sweetie"

He smiled back at her shyly and moved back towards his apartment as she made her way towards the stairs. He paused just before pushing the door open, turning towards her slightly.

"Penny?"

"Yes Sheldon?"

"The…event…" he paused. "It…it wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be" he said very quietly, then retreated into his apartment before she could reply.

Penny went to work in a significantly better mood. Sheldon's words may not have sounded like much, but she knew for him it was like the revelation that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father— this was huge.

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><p><strong>AN**: Please review! :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note**: I've taken a few creative liberties with this chapter, but I figure that's what fanfic is all about! Sorry that it's taken me awhile to get this chapter up- real life has gotten in the way as it has a pesky habit to do. Please let me know what you think!

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><p>It was Sheldon's thirtieth birthday in just over a week and Penny had coincidentally outdone herself with the fabulousness of her present to him. Actually, it had been in the works for quite some time now but she hadn't wanted to get her hopes up in case it didn't come through. Now that it was, with timing that was nothing short of miraculous, Penny was unbelievably excited about giving Sheldon her gift. When she had mistakenly thought that Sheldon had wanted nothing more to do with her following their kiss, she had been sure that this would make him talk to her again. But now that they were…she wasn't sure what…friends? again she was even more excited about the surprise. She had already spoken to Leonard, who was inviting everyone over on the night for pizza and vintage video games, since his birthday fell on a Friday. He had bought Sheldon a model train set that Sheldon had apparently wanted since he was a kid, and it was so beyond the realm of a 'normal' childhood train set that even Penny was impressed. When Leonard has asked her what she was getting Sheldon she had just smiled mysteriously and kept her mouth shut.<p>

It had all started a couple of months earlier when she had gone for an audition for a small role in a new science fiction movie. She had found the guy in charge of the auditions rather cute, so she was pleased for more than one reason when she had been invited for a call back. As it turned out she didn't get the part but the guy, Michael, has asked her out for coffee afterwards. She had agreed despite being kind of down about another acting opportunity having passed her by, but had not stopped thanking her lucky stars ever since that she had. He had apologised for her not getting the part, explaining that he thought her very talented but that someone else had just been more appropriate for the part. At first Penny was skeptical and unimpressed, having heard the line countless times before, but then he had gotten her a couple more great auditions, one of which was actually looking promising, and she couldn't deny that he had become a huge help to her.

It hadn't taken her long to determine that he was gay—suspicions that were later confirmed by his decidedly unsubtle glances at other men during his catch ups with Penny. Before too long they had gotten onto the subject of their friends, and Penny had found herself babbling about the guys and about Sheldon in particular. Michael had seemed somewhat impressed by what she had told him, then one day when they met up he had started telling her, in hushed tones, that his film industry connections had gotten him an invite to a top secret and very exclusive panel discussion with George Lucas, of all people. Even Penny knew who that was, and Sheldon had popped into her mind before she had even had time to process anything. Michael had promised to do his absolute best to get Sheldon a ticket to the exclusive event and, miracles of miracles, he had actually made it happen. The conference was to take place just two days after Sheldon's birthday. Penny couldn't believe her luck. She cared very deeply for Sheldon, in ways that she was almost too scared to analyse properly at this stage, and she wanted him to have the best thirtieth birthday possible, especially considering how down he had been about the whole affair.

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><p>Finally, the night had arrived and Sheldon seemed to be in relatively high spirits, clearly having resigned himself to the fact that he was going to keep ageing and that there was nothing that he or his science could do to change it, at least not yet. He seemed gracious of the fact that the few people he considered friends were there and were being even more considerate than usual of his many idiosyncrasies. They had made pizza at home to ensure that Sheldon's pizza was just the way he liked it—with his preferred pizza toppings on it, in the correct order, and with the pizza base of the exact height and consistency that he liked. Leonard had also procured several of Sheldon's favorite vintage video games, and before long they were all taking it in turns to play, Penny enjoying the games more than she had expected but her stomach full of nervous butterflies at the promise of giving Sheldon her gift.<p>

The others went first and Sheldon seemed adequately impressed with the offerings, though clearly more so with Leonard's train set, affording him a relatively rare but delighted smile that never failed to warm Penny's heart. Finally, hands almost shaking in anticipation, Penny handed over her plain white envelope containing her card and ticket, feeling a bit like Willy Wonka giving out the golden tickets to enter his chocolate factory. He took it from her, smiling slightly at the mystery of it, opened it and briefly took in the wording of her card, containing the simple message: "Happy 30th Birthday Sheldon. Love always, Penny" before turning his attention to the other item within the envelope. For a full minute he said nothing, merely staring at the contents of the envelope as though they might explode at any moment. The others observed silently, looking between Penny and Sheldon and wondering what Penny had done to break Sheldon this time. Finally Sheldon found his voice.

"Penny" he began in hushed tones, "is this…real?"

Penny grinned at him from her place in the armchair across from him, the answer clear in the delight of her expression.

"Yeah sweetie, it's real" she assured him, getting to her feet at the same time he rose from his spot on the couch, giddy from the extraordinary tide of emotions threatening to overwhelm him.

"Penny, this is…" he stopped, for once in his life completely lost for words, and looked up at her, his eyes shining with a dawning comprehension and delight.

"Oh for god's sake, tell us what it is already!" Leonard cut in loudly and impatiently, not really angry but no longer able to contain his curiosity.

Sheldon passed the ticket to him wordlessly, eyes still focused on Penny, and Leonard seemed to have a similar reaction, once again internally questioning what the hell was going on between Sheldon and Penny but deciding that whatever it was Sheldon had better never let her go.

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><p>Later that night Penny sat on the small couch in her apartment, drinking a small glass of red wine to calm herself after all the excitement that had taken place at 4A that night. When Sheldon had finally recovered from the shock (though Penny still wasn't entirely sure that he had) he had awarded her with his longest and most enthusiastic hug yet, then had started frantically planning what he would ask Mr Lucas, oblivious to the jealous stares of his friends who, to their credit, endeavored to just be happy for him. The evening had wound down not too long afterwards, everyone somewhat exhausted from the excitable energy radiating from Sheldon. Penny was just draining the last of her glass, and was feeling pleasantly sleepy and content, when she heard the familiar knock at her door.<p>

_Knock knock knock_

"Penny"

_Knock knock knock_

"Penny"

_Knock knock knock_

"Penny"

She smiled and stood behind the door, waiting for him to finish his ritual before opening it.

"Hey sweetie" she greeted him affectionately.

He still looked wound up, the way she had only seen him a handful of times before in their relatively lengthy friendship, but his blue eyes were shining with a vibrant happiness that gave her a thrill to know she had put there.

"Penny, I wanted to thank you again for presenting me with a gift that is not only spectacular, but surpasses anything I could have imagined, even from you"

Penny was touched by the veiled compliment, but before she could reply he was pulling her into another hug, this one less awkward and more intimate than before. Penny reveled in the closeness as she felt his body relax in her arms, her thoughts racing (along with her heart) and internally remarking at how far he had come in terms of physical contact. After what felt like far too brief of a moment, he gently pulled away from her but kept his hands on her forearms, looking into her eyes in a way that, despite her better intentions, made her blush in earnest. She cursed herself mentally and feverently hoped that he would not notice the heat she could feel in her cheeks.

"Honestly Penny, I can't thank you enough. You've…" he paused, looking at the floor awkwardly "you have truly made this the best birthday I have ever experienced".

He cleared his throat nervously.

"And not just because of your wonderful gift, remarkable though it may be".

She swallowed heavily, overcome with a sudden but powerful surge of affection for the slightly insane but extraordinary physicist who had become so much more to her than she ever would have imagined. She managed to smile back him, her hand moving to stroke one side of his face, and she was surprised to find that he didn't pull away or even flinch from her touch.

"You're very welcome, Sheldon. You deserve it"

And then the world turned upside down and later Penny could barely remember what had happened and when it had happened and why it had happened.

He kissed her.

It was a soft, chaste kiss, and one that she didn't react to right away out of shock. But sure enough, something within her kicked in and she was kissing him back, lost in the feel of his lips so soft against hers and the thin but strong hands that she had always loved on her arms, drawing her close against his tall body. Then suddenly it was over, leaving Penny desperately desiring more but not wanting to push him before he was ready. He let her go, but this time there was no fear in his eyes, or at least nothing too far beyond the realm of his normal panic at any kind of social interaction.

"Goodnight Penny" he said with the small, shy smile that seemed to be reserved just for her.

"Goodnight Sheldon"

She watched him cross the small hallway between their apartments, pleased that at thirty years of age Sheldon had finally had his first (non Hofstadter and non alcohol related) kiss. But, much more confusingly, she wondered why it felt a little bit like it had been her first kiss too.

**A/N:** Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note**: Thanks so much for the lovely reviews! Please keep giving me your feed back, it really helps :)

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><p>Leonard felt betrayed. He knew he shouldn't have been spying on Sheldon and Penny, but the two of them had been acting so strangely lately and curiosity had gotten the better of him. But what he had seen was nothing short of astounding…and upsetting. The kiss he had witnessed through the peep hole of their apartment door on Sheldon's birthday had blown his mind a little…this was <em>Sheldon<em>. Since when was he interested in…well, anyone? And since when was he interested in _Penny_ of all people. Leonard's ex. Who Leonard had loved (or thought he had loved) and who had broken his heart. Admittedly, he wasn't really interested in Penny that way now, and deep down he knew that she had done the right thing ending things when really they both knew that it just wasn't going to work between them, but that didn't mean that he felt any less betrayed.

Now it was the morning after the event and Leonard was determined to confront Sheldon. He knew that Sheldon hated confrontation but Leonard didn't care— this time he had gone too far and he needed to know that it wasn't okay. Leonard walked into the kitchen, fully dressed, and headed for the coffee pot, tired from a night of very little sleep and much repetitive thought. He poured himself a mug of the coffee that Sheldon had made, despite the fact that he himself didn't drink it. Leonard swallowed, half of him suddenly wanting to skip the anger and the yelling. He was abruptly all too aware of the fact that what had occurred between Sheldon and Penny was nothing short of miraculous, that Sheldon had never shown even the slightest interest in anyone else, so that whatever was happening here must be pretty serious…Sheldon wouldn't make the effort for just anybody. He sighed internally, sipping at his coffee and glancing at his friend and roommate who was sitting at his computer desk typing away, apparently completely unaware that Leonard was any the wiser of his growing relationship with their friend and neighbor, Penny. Still, Leonard was having trouble just looking at Sheldon without the feelings of anger and hurt rising up inside him. He was going to have to say something.

"Sheldon, I know that there's something going on between you and Penny" he said quietly from his position in the kitchen.

Sheldon looked up from his monitor, carefully masking from his expression any indication that he knew what Leonard was referring to.

"And what, pray tell, would that be Leonard?"

Leonard sighed. Sheldon always claimed to be incapable of lying but he could put on a pretty convincing show of it when he wanted to.

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about, I saw you two kissing last night!" Leonard spat out, feeling irritated.

Sheldon just stared down at his hands, seemingly unable to speak, but Leonard noticed the slight flush that had crept into his cheeks. He was struck suddenly by the futility of arguing or even trying to converse with someone who, as a rule, avoided any kind of confrontation at all cost. Leonard sighed again, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Did you even consider me at all?" he demanded, walking around the kitchen island to face Sheldon.

Finally Sheldon looked up at him; his face hard to read but clearly flustered and somewhat upset.

"Leonard, I never intended on the paradigm shift that has taken place within mine and Penny's relationship, and I certainly never intended for it to generate negative feelings within you" he explained as calmly as he could.

Leonard took it in, stung by the mention of 'a paradigm shift' in his relationship with Penny— so it was true that there was something substantial going on then. But through his confusion and hurt, Leonard recognised that Sheldon really wouldn't have thought of him, that it wasn't in his nature to see why Leonard might be upset about him dating his ex girlfriend. Leonard wasn't sure if that made it better or worse.

"Well it has, Sheldon" he told him angrily, forcefully putting down his coffee mug and heading for the front door.

"Leonard, where are you going? We're supposed to go kite flying today"

Leonard paused at the door momentarily, looking back at Sheldon.

"Yeah well why don't you take Penny instead, since you two have gotten so close!" he bit out before exiting the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

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><p>It was Monday morning and Sheldon was knocking on the door of Penny's apartment. He was all too aware that, at just seven thirty AM, he was significantly breaking her "Don't Knock Before Eleven AM" rule, but he was left with little choice. Leonard was still refusing to talk to him— communicating only when it was absolutely necessary and barely even looking at him, and Sheldon knew enough to not push things even further. Sheldon had tried apologising but really had no idea what to say, which made it very difficult. On another note, he was also keen to tell Penny about the George Lucas conference he had attended the night before that had been her birthday present to him. Penny took some time coming to the door, and Sheldon had to stop himself from protecting his jugular as she pulled the door open.<p>

"Hey Sheldon, how was the George Lucas thing?" Penny asked him enthusiastically, "I was just coming over to ask you about it".

Sheldon was momentarily taken aback— noting that she was not only dressed, albeit casually, but that she looked quite alert for this time of the morning. But before long he was excitedly telling her all about it over breakfast in Penny's apartment— about how he knew the most out of anyone else there and how Mr. Lucas had actually been impressed with several of his questions (this surprised Penny who had been slightly worried that Sheldon's comments might cause a scene reminiscent of the one with Stan Lee). Pleased as he was that Penny was taking such an interest in his enthused ranting, eventually he had to tell her the other reason he had come over. He felt unusually nervous about it, unsure of how Penny would react to the revelation that Leonard knew about their kiss and was distinctly displeased by it.

"Penny" he began, licking his lips nervously.

"The other reason for my visit this morning is to ask if you would be so kind as to drive me to work today. You see, Leonard…" he paused, considering Penny's questioning expression.

"Leonard isn't talking to me. He…well it seems he witnessed a certain…interaction between us on Friday evening and is none too pleased about it" he told her quickly.

Penny groaned, burying her face in her hands. It wasn't like she hadn't thought about Leonard, but she had figured that there was no point in telling him until she knew more about…whatever this was with Sheldon. Judging by how slowly she knew she would have to take things with Sheldon, Penny had thought she'd had more time before this awkward situation would arise.

"Dammit" she muttered through her hands. "I didn't want him to find out that way…or at all really, until we know…" she trailed off as though unsure she wanted to complete the sentence and met Sheldon's bright blue eyes almost shyly. She sighed and got to her feet.

"Penny, where are you going?" he questioned her, also getting to his feet.

"To talk to Leonard honey, maybe I can smooth things over a bit" she explained, heading for the door.

"He's already left for work" Sheldon informed her calmly.

Penny stopped at the door, picking up her keys from the bowl that she now had sitting on the small table. If Sheldon hadn't been so wrapped up in the drama of the situation with Leonard he would have been pleased that Penny had taken up yet another of his suggestions.

"Well come on then, I'll drive you to work" Penny replied and Sheldon followed her out of the apartment, closing the door behind him.

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><p>They had managed to arrive at Cal-Tech without Penny kicking Sheldon out of the car and without Sheldon mentioning anything about the potential mechanical hazards of her car. It was a good compromise.<p>

"Have a good day sweetie" Penny said with a smile as Sheldon prepared to exit the car.

Sheldon smiled back at her.

"Thank you, Penny. I hope that you have a pleasant day also".

"I'll come and pick you up when you finish work, so just let me know when you're ready".

She sighed deeply.

"And then we'll talk to Leonard"

He nodded and shot her another small smile before leaving the car and walking towards the entrance of the university. She watched him go, wondering how the hell she was meant to explain things to Leonard when she had no idea what was happening herself.

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><p><strong>AN:** Reviews are love!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note**: Sorry this has taken awhile- I've had assignments coming out of my ears and unfortunately it's not going to ease up much until the semester finishes in a few weeks. However, I will endeavour to not take too long with the next instalment. I found this chapter a bit of a struggle too, but I think I managed to get it at least somewhat how I wanted it. As always, I love to hear what you think so please drop me a review when you're done! :)

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><p>It was later that day and Penny was in her bedroom trying to sort through the mess of clothing on her bed when a loud knock came at her front door. Wondering who would be calling on her at this time, she headed towards the door and was just reaching it when Sheldon burst into the apartment. A million questions raced through her mind in an instant: why hadn't he knocked in his usual manner, or at all; why was he home at this hour; <em>how <em>was he home at this hour? She had been planning on picking him up at five that afternoon, since Leonard wasn't speaking to him, and it was barely four fifteen at the moment. However, before Penny had a chance to vocalise any of these questions, a disheveled and distinctly distraught looking Sheldon had flung himself at her, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Taken aback, and rather confused, Penny put her arms around him and was just about to ask what the heck was going on when Sheldon let out a loud sob.

"Penny, it's…it's meemaw" he muttered very quietly in a ragged tone, his face buried in her shoulder.

Penny's heart sunk, Sheldon's devastation suddenly making sense to her. She knew how much Sheldon loved his meemaw— she was one of the few people she knew with certainty that he really cared about.

"What happened sweetie?" she asked calmly, endeavoring to make her voice as soft and comforting as possible.

"She's in hospital. Penny, she's very sick. They don't know…" he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence in another fit of tears.

"Shh shh, it's okay sweetie" Penny consoled him, holding him close and stroking his hair gently. "Come sit down".

She led him to her small sofa, sitting them both down and keeping her arms wrapped around him tightly. He said nothing for a long while, just cried into her shoulder as she held him and stroked his hair and back and assured him that it would be okay. She didn't want to push him for answers but in truth she was rather worried about him. She had never seen him so upset, never really seen him show a lot of emotion, and she knew that things must be pretty bad for him to be so comfortable with the excessive physical contact. He seemed to really need it right now. Eventually, he was able to tell her in a very quiet voice that he had received a call at work from his mom telling him that his meemaw was in hospital with a severe case of pneumonia (though he told her this in much more complicated medical terms and she had to carefully ask him to 'dumb it down' for her) and that no one really knew how the situation was going to go at this stage. Having been assured by Mary that she would call back as soon as possible with an update, he had then left work and gotten into a cab.

"I just didn't know what to do, Penny. So I came here" he told her in the same small voice.

Penny smiled slightly at the revelation that she was the one he came to when he needed someone to be there for him.

"I'm glad you did sweetie, but I think you need to go home and be with your family" she said in her kindest, softest tone of voice.

He nodded, sniffing.

"Will you come with me?" he asked shyly

Penny barely considered the shifts at work that she would be loosing and the plans she would have to cancel before replying.

"Of course I will, Sheldon" she assured him, patting his arm softly.

Sheldon had then looked up flight times on Penny's laptop, too upset to even comment on the subpar components and speed of the machine, whilst Penny made him tea.

"It appears that the earliest flight we can get is at five o'clock tomorrow morning" he told her, as she brought over his tea and took a seat beside him, resting her hand lightly on his shoulder.

She nodded her agreement and he went ahead and booked the flights, setting the laptop aside when he was done and resting his head on Penny's shoulder.

"I don't know what I'll do if meemaw doesn't recover, Penny" he confessed quietly. "The only person who I've ever experienced the death of was my father and, let's face it, we weren't the finest example of a close paternal relationship"

"She'll be okay, Sheldon" Penny reassured him with another sympathetic pat of his arm.

"But what if she isn't, Penny?"

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><p>Forty five minutes had passed and Penny was no less worried about Sheldon. He had been talking to her about his meemaw, and though she found it nice to be able to gain some insight into his personality and childhood, the circumstances were hardly ideal. He sipped at his tea, sitting with his body positioned towards her and she had lightly rested her hand on his knee as a gesture of comfort as he spoke. So she could see how it might have looked to Leonard when he burst into her apartment a few minutes later. Leonard briefly absorbed the intimate scene between the two of them, his face oddly blank, before turning hastily to Sheldon.<p>

"Sheldon, I just heard, I'm so sorry" he said sincerely, perching himself on the edge of the couch and tentatively placing a hand on Sheldon's shoulder.

"How did you find out?" Penny queried, curious.

"I was out running errands after work and Sheldon's mom called me. I was worried about you, especially since we haven't…been talking" he finished with a slightly sheepish expression by way of apology.

Sheldon gave Leonard a small smile.

"Thank you Leonard, I do appreciate the sentiment"

Leonard paused, gazing at Penny as if for direction. He couldn't remember a time when he'd seen Sheldon so quiet and so obviously upset, and he found the effect a very worrying one.

"Can I do anything? Book flights for you to Texas? You know I'd be happy to come with you if you need someone"

Sheldon paused, evidentially quite touched by Leonard's support and perhaps a little surprised by his willingness to forget the Penny debacle.

"Thank you, Leonard" he said again. "But I've already booked flights for first thing in the morning. Penny will be joining me"

Leonard managed, to his credit, to not look the slightest bit put out at this news.

"Well then I'll take you two to the airport"

"That would be great Leonard, thank you" Penny replied, with a warm smile that Leonard tried his hardest to return.

Suddenly, Sheldon's phone rang loudly and he rose to his feet, hastily fishing it out of his pants pocket.

"Hi mom" he answered it anxiously.

Penny and Leonard listened to the one sided conversation, collectively holding their breath until they saw Sheldon relax slightly, some of the anxiety clearing from his face. Seeing the questioning look on Penny and Leonard's faces, Sheldon covered the bottom part of the phone with his hand and quietly said "the doctors have informed my mother and Missy that there has been some improvement in meemaw's condition". They both smiled with relief as Sheldon went back to his conversation.

"Yes I will call you as soon as the flight arrives tomorrow. Penny has kindly offered to accompany me"

A pause.

"Yes I did mom"

Another pause.

"I'm sure that she won't object to that, hold on a moment" he said, then covered the phone again and glanced over at Penny.

"Penny, my mother would like to speak with you. Are you available?" he asked her, making a gesture to hand over his phone.

"Sure sweetie" she replied, taking it and walking over to the kitchen.

"Hello?"

"Hi there Penny, listen I just wanted to thank you for taking such good care of my boy" Mary Cooper's heavily Texan accent rang through the phone.

"Anytime, Ms Cooper, that's what friends are for" Penny replied with a smile, glancing over at Sheldon who was now sitting on the sofa beside Leonard.

"Well he's certainly lucky that he's got you as a friend".

She paused.

"So how's he doing anyway? Seems he's taking it awful hard, though I can't say I blame him—it's been a real worry for us all"

Penny lent against the kitchen bench, turning away from the guys and lowering her voice to a tone barely above a whisper.

"Well I have to admit that I'm a bit worried about him Ms Cooper" she confessed. "I've never seen him like this before...he's actually been _hugging_ me. But he seems to be doing a bit better now"

On the other end of the phone, Penny heard Mary sigh deeply.

"Well, thanks again for looking after him Penny. I'd better let you get packing. I'll see you and Shelly tomorrow though"

"Sure. Thanks Ms Cooper"

Penny touched the 'end call' button and walked back over to join the guys, sinking down onto the chair beside her sofa. The three of them sat awkwardly for a moment, but Penny was nonetheless pleased with how well Leonard had put aside his negative feelings in order to be there for his friend. Leonard cleared his throat suddenly and got to his feet, stretching.

"Well I'd better let you two pack" he said as he headed for the door.

"But I'll see you bright and early tomorrow" he added with a smile.

"Thanks again, Leonard" Penny said earnestly, "goodnight".

"Goodnight, Leonard" Sheldon called out.

Leonard closed the door softly behind him and Penny turned to Sheldon with a sigh.

"Well honey, we have to get up pretty early so we should probably think about getting in bed too"

Her face flushed pink as she realised how her words could be taken.

"I mean…getting in our own beds" she clarified awkwardly and was mildly surprised that Sheldon wasn't giving her the same exasperated look that was typical of whenever she made a joke that contained any kind of sexual innuendo.

"Actually, Penny...I was hoping that perhaps you would stay with me for awhile whilst I attempt to sleep. I must admit that I would rather appreciate the warmth of human companionship right now" he admitted, looking down at his folded hands rather than at her.

"You mean in your room? But no one can be in your room, Sheldon" she reminded him with a smirk.

"Generally, yes, that is the rule Penny…" he began, nodding his head, but she cut him off.

"I'm just messing with you, Sheldon. Of course I'll stay with you" she reassured him, once again patting his arm gently.

As they headed over to 4A, Penny felt more worried about Sheldon then ever but a small, very guilty part of her was quite pleased that she was finally being invited into his Fortress of Solitude.

**A/N**: Reviews are love :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note:** Sorry that this chapter is short and took ages- uni is insanely demanding at the moment o_O Will have lots more time in about two weeks for updates so please stay tuned!

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><p>Sheldon was just finishing his meticulous packing when Penny knocked softly on the open door and entered the room. They had agreed to pack quickly due to the early hour of the trip tomorrow, but Penny had promised to come over as soon as she was finished. He was normally a fairly solitary being so it felt strange to him to be seeking comfort in another person, but Penny seemed to have a strangely calming effect on him even though he wasn't entirely sure why. Perhaps it was the strong sense of reliability that he had come to depend on in her— he was aware of the fact that he more than occasionally drove Penny mad, but she was always there for him no matter what and he had the distinct feeling that she always would be.<p>

"Come in, Penny. I've completed my packing in record time. Normally I scan and categorise each item according to type and colour before packing it but under the circumstances I've dispensed with that particular organisational system for a slightly simpler one" he informed her, zipping up his small, neat suitcase and placing it to one side of his bed.

"I pretty much just threw in whatever I could find that was clean" she replied nonchalantly, but she smiled, inwardly relieved that Sheldon seemed at least slightly more like his usual self.

Sheldon said nothing at her blatant disregard for organisation but shot her an obvious eye roll to get his point across as he headed towards the bathroom to brush his teeth and change into his Monday pyjamas. As he neared Leonard's room he found himself relived that the door was shut- he was simply too exhausted to deal with potentially offending him with Penny's presence in his room. Having carried out his evening routine he returned to his room to find Penny sitting patiently on the edge of his bed, clearly having had the sense not to go touching things in his room.

"Thank you for staying with me, Penny" he said quietly as he climbed into his bed, allowing Penny to tuck him in the way she did when he was sick.

Penny smiled down at him, patting his arm lightly.

"Anytime, sweetie. That's what I'm here for"

He paused for a moment, unsure of whether or not he should vocalise his thoughts.

"You're a very good friend"

She gave him another of the warm smiles that he had grown so accustomed to and fond of.

"So are you, Sheldon. Now get some sleep" she replied, barely stifling a yawn.

He nodded, and closed his eyes but found they wouldn't stay shut for longer than a moment.

"Penny...you can't be very comfortable seated in that upright position without sufficient vertebrae support. You could..." he cleared his throat nervously "like down next to me if you like".

Penny hid her shock well.

"Thanks, that's sweet of you" she said, not bothering this time to conceal a large yawn.

Sheldon pulled the covers back and felt his stomach flutter strangely, the way it only ever did when he was around her, as she moved to lie beside him. He adjusted the quilt so it was covering her and turned towards her slightly, the fluttering sensation increasing as he felt the warmth radiating from her body. For a moment he just relaxed into the feeling of contentment he felt at her close proximity— the pleasant, familiar scent of vanilla oil, her expressive green eyes that were heavy with weariness, the silken strands of her long blonde hair gently tickling the exposed skin around his neck— then he did something that even he wasn't expecting. Leaning towards her a little more, he closed the small gap between them and gently pressed his lips to hers. He felt her hesitate for a fraction of a second then her body seemed to just melt into his touch, her hand reaching up to stroke his cheek. He moved his mouth slightly against hers, still trying to perfect this newly found experience, and decided by the way it felt that he must be doing something right. Slowly, tentatively, he parted his lips slightly and felt Penny do the same. Then, with the fluttering in his belly increasing to almost uncomfortable levels, he reached out to touch her hair and pull her closer to his body as their tongues met sensually. He felt lost in the sensation of it, his constantly whirring mind oddly still in the presence of this beautiful woman and her unspeakably soft lips, warm body and web of golden hair. It was almost peaceful, and he realised that it felt reminiscent of the confusing yet highly pleasurable feelings he had experienced in that first dream about Penny, the dream that had started this series of strange and completely unexpected events. Penny pulled away from him gently. Confused, and a little disappointed, he looked at her with questioning eyes. She gave him a small, apologetic smile; her eyes a hazy mix of fatigue and desire.

"Sheldon, believe me I don't want to stop this right now...I just don't want things going too far between us when you're upset and might end up regretting it. Do you understand that?" she asked him, stroking his face lightly.

Sheldon sighed.

"I do understand, Penny. I must admit that I'm not at all in my usual state of mind this evening"

He paused, licking his lips nervously.

"But I do enjoy kissing you" he admitted quietly.

"I enjoy kissing you too. Very much" Penny replied with a smile, then lent in towards him once again to place another sweet kiss on his lips.

And with that Sheldon closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep in her arms, appreciating for the first time in his life the pleasures of intimacy with another person.

**A/N:** Reviews are love :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note:** So sorry about the long wait for this chapter, but the good news is that now uni is pretty much finished for the semester I should have much more time for updates! Thanks for your patience, and the next chapter won't be far away. I know this story has been kind of slow in terms of the Sheldon/Penny relationship but it is moving towards it, trust me! There's probably only a couple more chapters left of this story but I already have a sequel planned and can't wait to write it. Thanks so much to everyone who has been reading and reviewing so far, I really appreciate it :)

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><p>Sheldon awoke with a start, drowning in the uncomfortable feeling that there was something he was meant to be doing. He turned his head slightly and caught sight of Penny sleeping deeply and peacefully beside him. The events of the previous evening came flooding back to him— the news that his meemaw was sick, rushing to Penny's for comfort, Leonard forgiving him slightly for the 'betrayal' of his growing relationship with Penny, and then…this. Yet another step towards the confusing but not unpleasant changes taking place in said relationship. He hadn't shared a bed with anyone since he was a kid and was occasionally forced to share with one of his siblings when their parents took them on a vacation and wanted to cut down on costs. Well, other than the night the heat went out whilst he, Leonard, Raj and Howard were in the North Pole…but apparently they weren't supposed to talk about that.<p>

Sheldon had no desire since to have his sleep interrupted by sharing a bed and all the perils that went along with it, such as being accidentally kicked, or robbed of his half of the blanket, or overheating from the presence of a warm body beside his. But Penny had done none of those things— she'd just slept soundly beside him, being neither distant nor clingy, giving him exactly what he'd needed. Just as she always did. Although she constantly declared or alluded to the fact that she didn't understand him, Sheldon had felt for quite some time that she came closer in many ways than anyone else did. He sighed, not allowing his mind to go too far in pondering the implications of this; he had long since learnt that doing so would just confuse him further when it came to he and Penny. Instead he glanced at his alarm clock, noting that it was almost time he and Penny got up and made their way to the airport. It was still dark outside and he was slightly afraid of her reaction to him waking her at this hour— it was certainly well before her eleven A.M rule and he wasn't entirely sure if the lack of a door to knock on would make the situation better or worse. Slowly, he leant over her, taking a moment to look at her lovely face before the potential 'not a morning person' crankiness would descend upon him.

"Penny," he said in hushed tones, lightly nudging her shoulder in an attempt to wake her. "Penny!"

Penny awoke with a start, looking up at Sheldon with a confused expression then looking around her.

"Where am I?" she mumbled, still half asleep.

"You're in my room, Penny. You agreed to fly to Texas with me to visit my meemaw," Sheldon reminder her with some trepidation in his voice.

Penny sat up fully, rubbing her eyes and shaking her head, trying to clear the haze of sleep from her mind.

"Oh yeah," she replied sleepily, patting his arm. "Don't worry, Sheldon, I'm not going to punch you," she continued, noticing his nervous demeanor.

Sheldon breathed a sigh of relief and got out of bed, gathering up the pile of clothing that he had neatly folded and stacked on top of his suitcase, and made his way to the bathroom.

A short while later Sheldon was dressed and knocking softly on Leonard's door, a mug full of hot coffee in his hands as some kind of compensation for the favour. Leonard answered the door with a drowsy yet patient expression on his face and accepted the proffered coffee, then retreated back into his room to get dressed. Sheldon went back into the kitchen to settle the matter of breakfast and, recalling Penny's fondness for French toast, he set about making some. Of course, it wasn't French toast day so he would be having cereal, but he hoped that Penny might appreciate the gesture. When she entered the kitchen a few minutes later her mood seemed to improve dramatically at the sight of the fresh coffee and French toast with maple syrup. She smiled warmly at him, and tucked in to her breakfast. _This could work_, he thought.

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><p>Sheldon sat in the uncomfortable plane seat, fidgeting nervously. Penny looked up from the magazine she was reading and gently placed her hand on his.<p>

"Sweetie, I know you're nervous but it's going to be okay. I've flown loads of times and nothing's ever happened to me,"

Sheldon looked at her scathingly. "Penny, I hardly think that the fact that you have engaged in air travel numerous times without incident conclusively proves that this particular flight is safe from disaster."

It wasn't that he hadn't flown before - sometimes taking the train was too impractical even for him – but the nerves he felt at being on a steel tube suspended 33, 000 feet in the air never seemed to lessen. Knowing the science behind aviation and aerodynamics didn't seem to help either. And that was before even considering the germs of the passengers. Penny shook her head, exasperated, and turned back to her magazine. Sheldon peeped out the small porthole window briefly then turned back to Penny.

"Penny, they're doing something to the engine. Why are they doing something to the engine?" he asked, a note of hysteria in his voice.

Penny gave the window a quick glance then turned her eyes back on Sheldon.

"They're just checking it, Sheldon. It's standard procedure on every flight. Everything's fine," she reassured him, trying to keep her voice calm and patient. She knew this wasn't easy for him.

But Sheldon continued to stare out of the window, clenching his hands in his lap and chewing on his lower lip. Finally Penny stood, unable to bear it any longer.

"What are you doing, Penny?" Sheldon asked her, bewildered.

"Swapping seats with you" she replied firmly. "Come on. You'll feel better if you're sitting over there."

"I seriously doubt that having close proximity with a complete stranger will make me feel better," he argued. "Did you know that the risk of contracting a viral infection is higher at an airport and aboard a standard aircraft than anywhere else?"

Penny sighed again.

"Just switch with me, Sheldon. There's no one even sitting there."

"Not right now, but the plane is still boarding Penny— anyone could take that seat. A germy child, a tourist from another country carrying any number of foreign pathogens…"

He cut himself off at the expression on Penny's face. It was a familiar one and one that told him clearly that she was not to be messed with. He sighed and stood up resolutely, and they shuffled around one another awkwardly to get to their new seats. Sheldon managed to say nothing more about the potential of contracting any life threatening illnesses and distracted himself until take-off with a book about the latest developments in electromagnetic physics. But when the plane began taxing around the run way, preparing for take-off, Sheldon started fidgeting again, no longer able to pretend that he wasn't freaking out about the movement of the plane and the sound of the engines slowly revving up. Once again Penny reached for him, this time taking both of his large hands into her smaller ones and holding them. As the plane started to lift into the air, Sheldon gripped Penny's hands tightly.

"It's okay, Sheldon honey," she soothed, and he rested his head on her shoulder gratefully.

Several hours later, their plane touched down in Texas. The remainder of the flight had been fairly uneventful— Sheldon had calmed down after take-off and had spent the remainder of the flight reading his book, scrawling various equations in his notebook and typing a journal entry on his laptop, whilst Penny watched the in-flight movies and flicked through several magazines. Although he had gotten slightly nervous on the landing, he had always found take-offs much worse, and found that the presence of Penny beside him was enough to keep him calm. They got off the plane and collected their luggage, which to Sheldon's immense relief were amongst the first bags to come out, and headed towards the place that Mary always picked Sheldon up from when he came to visit. They spotted her and made their way over and she wrapped Sheldon in a tight hug that he didn't object to much. He actually surprised himself in how relived he felt to see her— after the emotional turmoil that he had been through in the past day or so, and how unused to that he was, it was nice to be doted on slightly.

"How are you my Shelly?" she asked him, cupping his face on either side with her hands.

"I'm fine, mom,"

She scrutinised him for a moment then, apparently satisfied with his response, turned to Penny and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you so much for coming, Penny. I really appreciate it and I know Sheldon does too," Mary told her earnestly.

Penny smiled warmly back at her. "Well, you're both very welcome. It's lovely to see you again Mrs. Cooper."

As they followed Mary to the parked car she filled them in on the situation with Sheldon's meemaw, informing them that she was still quite unwell but was doing significantly better, and that she would take Sheldon and Penny straight to the hospital to see her. Sheldon felt relieved to hear that his meemaw was getting better yet, but a part of him couldn't help thinking about how hard it would be to see her lying sick in a hospital bed. He hated hospitals in general but it was normally the germs he was concerned about rather than seeing someone he loved unwell or in pain, especially when he hadn't seen them in awhile. An unfamiliar feeling of guilt gnawed at him faintly, and he promised himself that he would visit meemaw much more often from now on.

**A/N:** Would love to hear your thoughts :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note**: Not long to go now! I'm thinking this is the second last chapter of this story, but there will definitely be a sequel. Thanks so much for the continued support and reviews, really appreciate it! :D

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><p>Penny sat next to Sheldon in the back seat of Mary Cooper's car, watching him carefully out of the corner of her eye. He'd been doing surprisingly well under the circumstances, but she was worried that eventually the emotional stress of the last couple of days would take its toll. He was oddly quiet and hadn't said much since his paranoid remarks on the plane. She turned to look at him and, sensing her eyes on him, he turned and met her gaze with a quizzical expression. She gave him a soft smile and reached across to gently touch his hand— silently asking him if he was okay. He gave her a small smile in return and nodded slightly, and she found herself more than a little astounded that he'd understood her wordless question. Mary watched them closely from the front seat through the rear view mirror and smiled knowingly but said nothing.<p>

A short while later, they arrived at the hospital and made their way towards memaw's ward with Mary leading the way. As soon as they entered the building, Penny could sense Sheldon's nerves at the amount of germs he was surrounded by and she could tell that he was fighting the urge to obtain a surgical mask to protect himself. Mary told them the room number as they approached and excused herself, explaining that she needed to go to the gift shop, so Sheldon and Penny entered memaw's room along.

"Hi memaw," Sheldon greeted her uncertainly, making his way over to the hospital bed.

Penny loitered around the doorway, not wanting to intrude on the family moment, but smiled as Sheldon lent down to give his memaw a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm so glad you're here, moonpie," she replied, a happy smile on her face.

Penny could hear that her voice was still weak and observed that she looked quite frail lying in the hospital bed with several tubes attached to her body. Although her voice was faint, Penny recognised the strong Texan accent that she had grown accustomed to in Mary's voice and occasionally in Sheldon's when he was sarcastic or upset. Sheldon smiled affectionately down at memaw then, suddenly remembering Penny, he looked towards the doorway.

"Memaw, this is my very dear friend Penny," he said, gesturing for Penny to join them.

"It's so nice to finally meet you," Penny said, a warm smile lighting up her features as she approached the bed.

"It's wonderful to meet you too, Penny. Sheldon's told me so much about you."

Penny was momentarily alarmed, wondering what Sheldon had said about her, but memaw seemed to notice Penny's trepidation and continued. "Good things of course," she said with a wink.

Penny looked over at Sheldon and gave him a tiny smile, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. Sheldon smiled shyly in return and looked at his feet.

"So how are you feeling, memaw?" Sheldon asked.

"I'm getting there...slowly," she replied with a sigh, then broke into a coughing fit.

Sheldon watched her with concern, hastily pouring her a glass of water from the jug on the bedside table and handing it to her. She accepted it gratefully, managing to get the coughing under control.

"But as you can see, I still have a fair way to go."

Sheldon nodded sympathetically and started talking in medical jargon that Penny didn't understand.

"Does he do this to you too, Penny?" memaw asked, but her smile was teasing.

Penny grinned. "He never stops," she replied playfully, but internally she added "and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Several hours later, Penny and Mary stood in the kitchen of the Cooper family home, preparing dinner. It had been a pleasant day. Missy had met them at the hospital with a bunch of flowers for memaw after she finished work then she, Mary, Penny and Sheldon had gone out to lunch. The venue was a steakhouse that had apparently been a Sheldon approved restaurant in his younger years in Texas and one that Mary and Missy still went to quite often. Afterwards, they had done some grocery shopping and headed back to the Cooper residence. Penny was surprised at how comfortable she felt in their home, just sitting around and chatting. She had always gotten along well with Missy but had to admit that she found Mary ever so slightly intimidating. Nothing like the way that Leonard's mum was of course, but Penny was of the opinion that anyone who Sheldon would obey without question had to be a little scary. But Mary had made her feel so welcome and treated her like she was part of the family. Sheldon had retreated to his room to work on some equations and Penny and Mary were in the small kitchen, preparing the ingredients for chilli con carne. Mary suddenly looked up from the onions that she was chopping and fixed Penny with a curious expression.

"So, Penny. I'm not one for beatin' around the bush so I'm just going to come right out and ask this. Is there something going on between you and Shelly?"

Penny froze, then slowly looked up at Mary, trying to keep her face innocent and nondescript. Mary met her eyes with an amused kind of exasperation.

"Now now, don't pretend you don't know what I'm talkin' about. I've seen the way you two've been looking at each other. Somethins' changed hasn't it?" she pressed, eyes not leaving Penny's.

Penny looked back down at the herbs and spices she was preparing, unsure of whether she should tell the truth. She wasn't even entirely sure what the truth was. Finally she looked back up.

"Well…it's…complicated. But I feel like he really cares about me, and I definitely care about him. And he can be so sweet and thoughtful when he wants to be," she paused. "It's…unexpected, but…nice."

Mary waited for Penny to finish then threw her arms around her.

"Well thank the lord!" she exclaimed as Penny, slightly taken aback, awkwardly returned the hug.

Mary pulled back but kept one arm around Penny's shoulders.

"I tell you I never stop worrying about that boy. Lord knows I'm incredibly proud of his achievements but I don't want him to miss out on other important things because of them, you know?"

Penny nodded but felt the need to try to clarify things a bit.

"I mean, I really have no idea where this will go. But he makes me happy. And I think I make him happy…it's kind of hard to tell sometimes."

"Penny, let me tell you somethin'. I've never seen Shelly act with anyone the way he acts with you. I knew right from the start that you were different, that you might just be able to get through all those barriers he puts up. Just remember to always take things slowly with Shelly. Let him get used to things," she advised in her Texan drawl, and Penny recalled her saying a similar thing years ago when Sheldon had locked himself in his bedroom and refused to come out for days on end. Penny nodded and smiled.

"Thanks, Mrs. Cooper. I really appreciate the support."

"No thank you, Penny. You've always been there for him and you have no idea how grateful I am to you. And please- call me Mary," she replied with a grin.

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><p><strong>AN:** I 3 reviews :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's note:** Final chapter! Hope you all enjoy it Thanks SO much to everyone who has supported this story and continued to give feedback- you've been awesome. It's been so fun to write but I'm looking forward to getting started on the sequel- really hope to see you all there! I haven't decided on a name for it yet so keep your eyes out for it. Thanks again xx

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><p>It had been four days since Penny and Sheldon arrived home from their trip to Texas. Memaw was thankfully getting better by the day, and although she was still in hospital the doctors had assured that she would be home soon. Penny had found the remainder of the trip to be pleasant and quite relaxing— comforting home cooked meals, conversation and cups of tea, and the occasional touristy outing with Sheldon, Mary and Missy. It was nice to get to know Sheldon's family better, now that they were…involved. She wasn't even entirely sure if one could call it that. Whilst Sheldon hadn't been obvious about his feelings for Penny whilst they were in the presence of his mom and sister, Penny received more and more of his shy yet sweet smiles. She also seemed to receive less of his snide remarks and wasn't sure if he simply made them less whilst he was around his family, or if he was finally becoming more tolerant of her quirks. She found herself strangely pleased however that he hadn't done away with them entirely.<p>

The four of them had visited memaw every day and brought her flowers and books and stayed with her for quite some time. It warmed Penny's heart to see how much memaw's eyes lit up at the sight of her grandson especially. Sometimes she, Mary and Missy would leave the two of them alone to talk whilst they went for a coffee in the cafeteria or did some shopping. Penny could tell that Sheldon was really going to miss his memaw when they went back home, even though she knew he wasn't a huge fan of Texas itself. She suspected he would also miss his mom and sister, though he would never admit it.

Leonard had called them each day they were there and spoke to them both to get an update on the situation and as a show of his support. Penny was glad to see that he seemed to be coming to terms with the growing relationship between her and Sheldon and was talking to them both almost normally again. She hoped that it would continue, as the last thing she wanted was to come between their friendship. Leonard had picked them up at the airport when they came back after just over a week in Texas, and thankfully there had been minimal awkwardness. Things seemed to be returning somewhat to normal at apartment 4A.

But over in 4B, Penny was standing in her room, admiring the new dress she had bought in Texas. Tonight was her first date with Sheldon, and she was a little surprised to find herself so nervous. Since they had gotten back, it seemed as though Sheldon had been working up the nerve to ask her something, and yesterday he had finally done it. Although she had considered asking him herself, she knew that it would be better if he made that call with no pressure from her. She had no idea what they were doing or where they were going, but felt a huge sense of relief that their relationship did indeed seem to be going _somewhere_ and that it wasn't just her who was excited about it. He had been so adorable standing nervously just inside the doorway to her apartment, somehow managing to get the words out and ask her to join him for "a social, or often romantic, engagement known as a date". She had of course immediately accepted, trying to hide just how excited she really was. He had refused outright to say where they were going, and Penny had reluctantly agreed on the proviso that he gave her some guidelines as to how to dress. Finally, he had told her simply to dress up and had left it at that. She had given him an exasperated look but was secretly quite thrilled by the mystery of it all.

She had taken her time getting ready— ensuring for once that she had enough time to get everything just right. She had applied her makeup carefully; making sure that it wasn't too subtle to be casual but that it wasn't caked on either. She had the distinct feeling that Sheldon was a fan of a more natural look. With this in mind, she had let her hair fall naturally, encouraging its curliness only slightly with a few large rollers and a mist of hairspray. Her dress was the most gorgeous shade of periwinkle blue and she had fallen for it instantly, conveniently ignoring the fact that its price tag was well beyond the budget of a casual employee who hadn't worked for over a week. That's what credit cards were for, right? Besides, she had bought it knowing that Sheldon liked the colour, and thinking that it would match his eyes. Of course, she hadn't said any of that to Mary, who had been shopping with her at the time and had thankfully questioned her no further about the relationship between her and Sheldon. Penny studied herself critically in the full length mirror, making sure that everything was perfect. The dress sat beautifully on her slight frame— it was a flattering cut that was neither too low nor too high, and dropped into an elegant flowing skirt. She had paired it with her highest pair of silver heels, always aware of how much taller he was than her. _These should help to even us out a bit_.

At precisely seven thirty pm, Penny heard the familiar triple knock on her apartment door. Her stomach fluttered slightly but she ignored it and gave her reflection one final glance before she picked up her small silver purse and made her way to the front door. She opened it with a smile that she hoped didn't look too nervous. However, once she saw him, all thoughts of that were obliterated. He looked…sexy. He stood before her, dressed in black pants and shiny black shoes that he'd paired with a button up shirt, with the endearing smile that she had come to treasure so much. He had chosen a dark blue shirt that brought out the blue in his eyes beautifully. It was one of only a handful of times she had seen him in something other than his usual two shirts and plaid or tan pants and she had forgotten the effect that Sheldon all dressed up tended to have on her. He was looking at her in a similar way, taking in her appearance with his breath catching ever so slightly in his throat. She could feel that she was blushing so she lent in towards him and gave him a soft kiss. When she pulled away his eyes were slightly hazy, but the small smile was still on his face.

"Hi," she greeted him softly. She was standing almost pressed against him and looking up into the eyes that seemed impossibly blue tonight.

"Hi," he echoed in tones barely above a whisper. "You're looking rather enchanting tonight, Penny."

She blushed, if possible, even harder.

"You look amazing," she confessed, her voice still low and soft.

He nervously reached over to brush a strand of hair from her cheek and held his hand there for a moment, just looking at her.

"I suppose we should be on our way," he said after a moment, clearing his throat.

Penny nodded her consent and allowed him to take her arm and lead her down the stairs.

"So are you going to tell me where we're going now?" Penny asked playfully as they reached the front doors of the ground floor foyer.

"You'll find out soon enough," he told her stubbornly as he ushered her through the door.

Penny was slightly surprised to find see a very expensive looking car just in front of the entrance to the building. It wasn't as though they lived in an overtly rough neighborhood, but it was still a far cry from Beverly Hills, so she wasn't accustomed to seeing such fancy cars around their apartment building. She was even more surprised when the dark tinted window slid down slightly and Sheldon walked towards the car, addressing the well dressed man in the driver's seat. Sheldon then opened the back door to reveal the beautiful leather exterior and gestured for Penny to get in.

"What's all this, Sheldon?" she asked slightly incredulously, but with a broad smile on her face, as she walked towards the car. He never ceased to surprise and amaze her.

Sheldon gave her one of his small, shy smiles.

"Well since I do not currently own or operate a motor vehicle and I hardly considered it appropriate for you to drive us on your own date, I decided that hiring someone to drive us was a viable option."

Penny smiled and climbed into the car, relishing the feeling of being in such a luxury vehicle.

"You're certainly full of surprises, Dr Cooper."

Dinner had been lovely. Sheldon had apparently spent the past few days doing research to find an appropriate first date restaurant that he approved of, and Penny had to give him credit for his choice. It was slightly out of town and was neither too busy nor too quiet, its décor tasteful and elegant. The food was of course delicious…Penny could never fault Sheldon's impeccable taste when it came to such things— the man knew what he liked. Sheldon found that he thoroughly enjoyed her company, having long since become accustomed to her animated and enthusiastic manner of speaking. They spoke about Sheldon's family back home and Penny was pleased to hear that memaw would be able to leave the hospital in the next couple of days and would be staying with Mary for the foreseeable future. Sheldon even managed to talk about his most recent developments at work in terms that Penny at least somewhat understood, and didn't get frustrated or bored by. Penny told Sheldon about an audition that her friend Michael (who had gotten her the George Lucas panel discussion tickets for Sheldon's birthday) had set up for her. It was a small part in an upcoming science fiction movie but Sheldon's eyes lit up at the premise of it, and he eagerly promised Penny to help rehearse her lines for the audition.

And now they were back in the car headed to another place unknown— Sheldon once again full of the mysterious vibe that he had embodied all night. A while later, the car stopped outside what appeared to be a large hall, and Penny studied Sheldon curiously, wondering what he was up to. He got out of the car and turned to help her out, keeping her small hand within his larger one as they approached the tall double doors. Upon entering, Penny realised that it was a dance hall, and gazed in wonder at the beautiful people sweeping gracefully across the polished floor.

"We're going dancing? I didn't know you could dance," she exclaimed in a delighted tone, squeezing Sheldon's hand slightly in her excitement.

"I am adequately proficient in certain forms of dance, yes." He paused. "When I was growing up in Texas, all young men and women were required to participate in the strange social ritual of Cotillion, which of course necessitated professional instruction in various forms of ballroom dancing," he explained lightly, but Penny was still incredibly impressed despite his nonchalance.

"May I have this dance, Penny?" he asked her, offering her his hand and gazing deeply at her with eyes the bluest of blue.

She took his hand and suppressed the urge to giggle. This new and chivalrous side of Sheldon made her feel like she was experiencing a school girl crush— everything was cute and exciting, and she couldn't have wiped the smile from her face even if she had wanted to. It turned out that Sheldon was more than 'adequately proficient' at dancing— they floated around the room with a graceful elegance that was nothing short of remarkable. It didn't even seem to matter than she didn't know the steps— Sheldon led her confidently and made it look like the easiest thing in the world. She gazed into his blue eyes, lost in their depths and aware of no one and nothing else, and wondered how she got so lucky.

Eventually, after several hours of dancing, Penny and Sheldon arrived back at Penny's apartment. The spring evening was pleasantly warm so they had walked home, stopping for gelato on the way. Now Penny was fumbling in her small purse for her keys, the nervous butterflies suddenly returning with unnerving vigor. Should she ask him into the apartment? How was this night supposed to end? She knew how things would have gone, in a previous time that now felt a million years away, after such a perfect evening…but this was _Sheldon_. Things were going surprisingly well and the last thing she wanted to do was scare him away. She had all but made the decision to say goodnight to him at the door, so as to not put pressure on him, when he turned to her, gently touching her arm.

"Perhaps we could have some herbal tea in your apartment, Penny?"

"Sure," she replied with a smile that hid her surprise, and let them both into the apartment.

Sheldon sat in the spot he had long since chosen in Penny's apartment whilst she made tea in the kitchen. She watched him from the corner of her eye as she did so, trying to gauge his feelings about the situation. He looked nervous too, she thought. She finished making the tea and bought the two mugs over, setting them down gently on the coffee table. She sat beside him on the couch, taking both of his hands into hers.

"Sweetie, I just want you to know that there's absolutely no rush with us. I'm happy to take things as slowly as you want and I'd never ask you to do anything you weren't ready for."

He nodded and licked his lips nervously.

"Thank you, Penny. I appreciate your willingness to, as you phrase it, take things slowly. I know it's not what you're used to…"

He stopped himself, immediately knowing that he had said the wrong thing. Penny raised her eyebrows and was about to open her mouth to defend herself when he lent in and kissed her. She was trying to decide between pushing him away to tell him off and melting into the kiss, when he pulled back, stroking her hair lightly.

"I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to offend you," he told her earnestly, anxiously.

He sighed and dropped his hands to his knees.

"I…I'll try to get better at this," he promised quietly, eyes cast away from hers.

And Penny knew it was true that he didn't mean to upset her. But at least this time he knew that he'd done something wrong. It was a lot, for him. He looked so oddly vulnerable, so unguarded, so…human. Another small glimpse into a vastly complex but wonderful person. She cracked a smile and titled his chin up to meet his eyes.

"I think you're doing pretty okay actually."

And then she lent in to kiss him once again. Sure it was a world gone mad, but she couldn't remember when she'd ever felt so happy.

The End

* * *

><p>Thanks so much for reading and I really hope you all enjoyed the final instalment. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts. Oh, and apologies that this story was so g-rated but I promise it will get 'more interesting' in the sequel, so stay tuned!<p>

**Edited to add:** The first few chapters of the sequel are now up under the title 'The Penny Sheldon Continuum' :-)


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